Me Before Mew: OC Romance
by WordBird500
Summary: Just my little AU. I meant to publish it earlier, so here it is slightly overdue!


_Heyya peeps!_

_...So this is supposed to tie in to the actual arc for Warriors, but since vision of shadows is over, I guess it doesn't now? So now this is an AU._

_**All these characters are mine and I love them with all my heart. (Even the villains. You too.) If you wish to use them, please ask before you do.**_

_This is set in RiverClan (gasp IT"S SUPPOSED TO BE THUNDERCLAN AAAA) because that's the Clan I like the most. It doesn't really get in the spotlight much, so I thought this would be fun!_

_The title is apparently a famous romance novel so if you've read it, cool! (I haven't lol)_

_Here's the story! Enjoy!_

Me before Mew: OC love story

**PART ONE**

**SETTING: The lake territories; RiverClan**

_Cherrycloud POV_

Cherrycloud absentmindedly listened to Jaggedblossom as she described the huge carp she saw. She searched for the face she was looking to see.

It was a sunny day in the Riverclan camp. Three scouts had traveled far to drive away some stray rogues, and had not yet returned. Streamstar hoped that today was the day they would come home.

Right on cue, the entrance to the Riverclan camp rustled. Two of the scouts, Pebblebrook and Swiftstreak, bound through the entrance. Swiftstreak's mate, Hazelglow, and kits, Cloverkit and Swallowkit, rejoined him, and Pebblebrook's sister, Chestnutpelt, ran up to greet her.

Cherrycloud's ears pricked up. Where was he? She sat up straighter, and halfway across the camp Streamstar did the same. Even Jaggedblossom quieted.

A rustle, and the break of a stick. Cherrycloud strained her eyes.

There he was! Cherrycloud stood.

Dawnrunner, deputy and son of Streamstar, ran through the entrance. He searched for Cherrycloud's face and ran towards her.

Cherrycloud buried her face in Dawnrunner's soft chest fur. "I missed you so much!" she whispered.

Dawnrunner did not reply, but he smiled and licked the top of her head. Streamstar came over to greet his son, then left to attend to business, leaving the two alone. Cherrycloud listened intently as Dawnrunner described the rogues and the journey, and smiled sweetly at him.

Nobody noticed that Jaggedblossom was glaring at the two spitefully, wanting revenge.

Later…

_Jaggedblossom POV_

Jaggedblossom crept closer in the reeds. She was on the Riverclan border, where Dawnrunner sat. _Grrr… _She was his closest friend when they were kits, and he had proclaimed his love for her a long time ago. Cherrycloud wasn't even Riverclan! Her mother, Snowstalk, had an affair with a Thunderclan cat named Swiftdusk, and a few moons later, Cherrycloud arrived, half-clan, into the world. Jaggedblossom had tried to keep Dawnrunner occupied, but the second the kit had come out of the nursery, Dawnrunner, then Dawnpaw fell head over heels for her. Since that day, Jaggedblossom had tried so hard to be friends with Cherrycloud, in the hopes that Dawnrunner would love her again, but he ignored her, like another troublesome tick. The show of affection was enough. She would stop them for once and for all.

At first, her plan was to flush both Cherrycloud and Dawnrunner, and make it look like she hadn't done it. Then she realized that they would still get a happy life together in Starclan, and Jaggedblossom didn't want that. She finally caught Dawnrunner alone, on her way back from Dirtplace, and snatched the opportunity up. Now, sitting in the reed bed, watching Dawnrunner, she began to regret her eagerness. _Now is not a good time_. She knew that this might be her only opportunity, but the Clan would notice that she was gone. She slowly backed out of the reeds-

SNAP!

Mouse-dung!

Dawnrunner whirled around. Jaggedblossom stepped confidently out from the reeds. This was no time for regret.

"Dawnrunner," she announced, her voice silky as fresh moss.

"Jaggedblossom- what?" Dawnrunner stuttered. His expression was of shock and anger.

Jaggedblossom curled her lip and drew closer to him. His nose was less than a whiskerlength from hers. "Let's get this straight," she barked.

Dawnrunner's anger seemed to melt into fear. "Jaggedblossom, what's going on?"

"Why don't you love me?" she growled. "Am I not pretty enough?"

"But I-" stammered Dawnrunner. "Cherrycloud-"

"This isn't about Cherrycloud, you pile of fox-dung!" Jaggedblossom swiftly unsheathed her claws, bringing them down a mouselength from his throat. "Love me or die."

"No. I made a mistake loving you. My first loyalty is to Cherrycloud now." Gone was the stammer from Dawnrunner's voice.

Anticipation for Dawnrunner's death and Cherrycloud's sadness curdled into rage in her belly_. You foo_l, she thought. "Well then…" she snarled. Her claws moved at her own will now. Dawnrunner gasped as they were brought down on his chest. "DIE!" She howled.

Dawnrunner screamed in agony.

_Cherrycloud POV_

Cherrycloud pounded into the woods. Sootstreak and Streamstar were right on her tail. She tore through the forest, not even stopping to take breaths. Dawnrunner had screamed. She needed to find him. "Dawnrunner!" she wailed. "Hold on, I'm coming!"

Streamstar hollered "Son!" and it echoed through the trees.

Sootstreak gained a little and flanked Cherrycloud. "We're getting close," he yelled.

Cherrycloud veered sharply to avoid running into a tree, leapt over a log, and ducked under a low-hanging branch.

Then she saw him.

Jaggedblossom was leaning over, howling with glee, and Cherrycloud could make out his broken body. Her heart wailed in agony_. He's dead_, she thought, tears coming to her eyes. She ran hard, nevertheless, and screeched to a stop.

A snarling Streamstar and a calm Sootstreak dealt with Jaggedblossom, but Cherrycloud paid no attention to them. She buried her face in Dawnrunner's fur.

Dawnrunner stirred beneath her. She gasped.

Her lover lifted his head. He was bleeding badly. Twenty small scratches lined his flank, but his throat was gashed open and bleeding very badly. "Tell my father I will miss him," he croaked.

"No!" Cherrycloud wailed. "You can't leave me! I'll- I'll bring you back to camp! Nettlefrost will put some cobwebs on it! You can't die!"

Dawnrunner silenced her. "I'm dying… nothing will heal this wound."

A part of Cherrycloud knew this was true, but she still did not want to let him go. "Please… I'll stay with you…"

Dawnrunner's gaze was becoming unfocused. He lifted a paw to touch Cherrycloud's face. "Promise you'll remember me…" he asked, but his voice was a mere whisper.

Cherrycloud cried out softly. "Yes… Always."

Dawnrunner smiled weakly. Cherrycloud's heart broke a little.

"Goodbye, love…"

His eyes glazed over and his head slumped to the ground.

Cherrycloud wailed into the night.

**PART TWO**

_A few weeks later…_

Cherrycloud was sitting at Dawnrunner's grave when Sootstreak came. "Oh. There you are."

Cherrycloud turned around. The black tom gave her a shy smile. "Streamstar wanted to know if you wanted to be on the evening patrol."

"I already had the morning patrol," she snapped.

"Oh…" Sootstreak's eyes dimmed.

Cherrycloud felt a little regretful for her harsh words, and she quickly replied, "but we can go on a hunting patrol. I'm sure Streamstar won't mind."

Sootstreak's eyes lit up.

After catching a carp, two salmon, and plenty of minnows, Sootstreak and Cherrycloud returned to the Riverclan camp. Sootstreak turned to her. "It's been great hunting with you."

"Thank you," she beamed, then remembered her promise to Dawnrunner. She looked away. "I need to go."

Sootstreak watched wistfully as she ran away.

_What is wrong with me? _she thought as she lay in her nest. _I can't fall for him… I have to keep my promise to Dawnrunner._ Cherrycloud felt like her heart was being torn into two. She loved Dawnrunner, yet she felt the urgency to move on._ Is there anything wrong with that?_

She fell asleep.

The next morning, Cherrycloud was sent on the morning patrol. Leaf-fall had come, and the forest danced with colors on the other side of the river. She envied Thunderclan for a moment then helped the others remark the scent borders.

The river ran fast beneath her paws.

Sootstreak came over and tried to make conversation, but she ignored him. "Sootstreak, please go away." It hurt her to say that, but the thought of Dawnrunner always pushed her on. Sootstreak left. The others did too. Cherrycloud sat by the river for a long time. Finally she stood, but as she was about to go, she tripped over a rock and fell backwards into the river. She fought the current, then hit her head on a rock and passed out.

At first there was blackness, then gradually, she began to dream. She was vaguely aware of someone yowling at the edge of consciousness, but she did not wake.

Cherrycloud sat in Starclan. Dawnrunner was besides her. She gave him an affectionate lick, but he stared straight ahead. When he did look at her, his expression was almost… angry.

"Dawnrunner," Cherrycloud asked, in a timid voice, "Why are you mad?"

"You reject him."

"But-" Cherrycloud stammered, "your promise…"

"If you love him, that doesn't mean you love me any less, no? I was only asking to be remembered, Cherrycloud, not for you to reject all the other toms." He paused. "Sootstreak is a good cat. He deserves to be at your side."

Cherrycloud sighed. "You're right," she said. "I just needed your approval."

"What approval? Are you afraid of me? If I truly loved you, a fact that all the clans know, you would not need me to fight your battles. I will stand by your decisions."

Cherrycloud exhaled. "I miss you, Dawnrunner."

The white tom's gaze softened. "So do I." He rubbed her cheek affectionately. "Do not forget me, but do not be afraid to love others." His image began to fade away, but he smiled. "Goodbye, love."

Cherrycloud woke in the medicine den. Nettlefrost, the medicine cat, was making a poultice from feverfew and honey, and Amberpaw, her apprentice, was watching. Both cats jumped when Cherrycloud lifted her head.

Nettlefrost quickly ran over to the nest. "Eat this," she coaxed, holding out the mixture. "It's for headaches."

Cherrycloud obediently lapped up the herbs. Her headache dimmed almost immediately.

Sootstreak came in. He bounded over to where Cherrycloud lay.

Cherrycloud turned to the medicine cat. "Can you leave us for a moment?"

Nettlefrost nodded. "Amberpaw," she called. The small golden apprentice bounced over. "Name what alder bark, borage leaves, and goldenrod do." The two walked into a hidden alcove.

There was a long silence between Sootstreak and Cherrycloud. Finally, she said, "I'm sorry for pushing you away. I love Dawnrunner but I let that keep me from moving on. I shouldn't have lashed out at you."

Sootstreak seemed to sigh in relief. "Can we be friends?"

She smiled at him. "Absolutely."

**EPILOUGUE**

Cherrycloud licked the top of the kits' heads. Her heart swelled with love. _Her kits_. They had been born at the end of leaf-bare, and the birth had been quick and painless. She had been lucky. She groomed the little tom, then the small she-cat. They pressed against her, mewling. She smiled.

Sootstreak licked the top of Cherrycloud's ears. "This one is Featherkit," he murmured affectionately. He touched the she-cat with his tail tip.

Cherrycloud smiled. "And this one is Smokekit," she whispered, licking the tom. Cherrycloud could almost hear Dawnrunner whispering in her ear, "Congratulations. I will love them and watch over them like the kits I never had."

_EDITED JULY 2019_


End file.
